TVCA reject scrutiny call

COUNCILLORS' REQUEST DREW ATTENTION TO MAYOR'S APPOINTMENTS

- By DANIEL HODGSON Local democracy reporter

A REQUEST for further scrutiny around the appointment of the region's development corporation chairs has been rejected by Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA).

The attempted 'call-in' from seven local councillors drew attention to the mayor's appointments of the region's three development corporation chairs as well as changes made to their constitutions. As has been reported, TVCA's constitution said (at the time of the appointments) that such appointments were to be put forward by the mayor, but cabinet had the final say.

As of the AGM on June 27, the combined authority's constitution was changed to say that appointments to such committees are a mayoral power. However, the chairs had been appointed prior to this date, with a spokesperson for the mayor saying that amendments had been made to the development corporations' (DC) constitutions to reflect that such appointments are a mayoral power. The councillors who asked for greater scrutiny come from across all five TVCA authorities.